Israel Approves Extra Funding For Illegal Settlements

Despite international calls against such constructions, Israel has approved an additional USD 13 million in funding for illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.

The allocation of approximately 50 million shekels (USD 12.8 million) to “strengthen” the settlements within al-Khalil (Hebron) as well as the settlement of Kiryat Arba on the city’s outskirts in the occupied West Bank was approved on Sunday Israeli officials said.

On June 16, the Israeli regime had approved USD 18 million in extra funding for the illegal settlements across the occupied Palestinian territories.

More than half a million Israelis live in over 230 illegal settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East al-Quds (Jerusalem).

The UN and most countries regard the Israeli settlements as illegal because the territories they are built on were captured by Israel in a war in 1967 and are hence subject to the Geneva Conventions, which forbid construction on occupied lands.